Half to paschall h



(No Model.)

J. PARKER.

K11/1, g 1 INVENT'OR AN DREW EGRAHAM, PMOYULITHQWASWNGION, ILC.

Nirnn STATES1 .i TENT met.

JOHN PARKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO PASOHALL H. MORRIS, OE SAME PLAOE.

BEVEL-GEARED BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,516, dated June 2, 1896. Application led May 13, 1895. Serial No. 549,036. (No model.)

To all whom, t may con-cern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PARKER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented Improvements in Bevel-Geared Bicycles, of which the following` is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of bicycles in which bevel-gears are employed in place of the usual chain and sprocket gearing for transmitting the movement of the crank-shaft to the hub of the driving-wheel, one object of my invention being to so construct the frame and bearings of the bicycle that the accurate adjustment of the bevelwheels necessary for perfect meshing of the same can always be effected, and a further obj ect being to provide an extremely stiff and rigid connection between the lower fork of the frame and the rear axle, so as to prevent disarrangement of the gears by the springing` of said frame. These objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a view mainly in sectional plan and illustrating sufficient of the framework and driving mechanism of a bicycle to illustrate my invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are detached views of parts of the same, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a modified construction of part of the frame.

A is the crank-shaft of the machine, having at its opposite ends crank-arms A A2. rlhe arm A2 may be iiXedly secured to the shaft in any appropriate way, the arm A, however, being detachable and being held normally in position by means of a suitable key a. Surrounding the shaft A is a transverse sleeve B,which has external collars b b', forming inner raceways for the opposite sets of bearing-balls d d', the outer raceway for the balls d being formed by a collar f screwed into one end of the tubular shaft-hanger D, and by preference xedly secured thereto.

The outer raceway for the opposite set of balls d is formed by a follower f, which is screwed into the opposite end of the tubular shaft-hanger D, but is adjustable and detachable, so as to permit of the insertion and removal of the sleeve B and the proper retention of the balls d, said follower f being secured in position after adjustment in any' suitable manner-as, for instance, by means of a locking-finger f2, adapted to one of a series of notches in a projecting ange of the follower, or by splitting the end of the shafthanger and providing the same with a clamping-screwin the manner which I have adopted and will hereinafter describe in connection with the hub of the driving-wheel.

The crank-shaft A has a threaded portion g, which is adapted to a threaded opening in one end of the sleeve B, and the opposite end of the crank-shaft is provided with means whereby it can be locked to said sleeve B in any one of several positions of adjustment. In the present instance this locking means comprises a set-screw t', carried by a projecting lug on the crank-arm A', and adapted to enter anyone of a series of notches t, formed in the projecting end of the sleeve B. (See Fig. 4..)

The sleeve B being'immovably held laterally within the tubular sh aft-hangerD, it will be apparent that the shaftAcan be adjusted laterally in said sleeve by lirst releasing it from engagement with the sleeve and then turning it in one direction or the other, so as to cause its threaded portion g to be screwed into or unscrewed from the threaded end of the sleeve, the shaft being again locked to the sleeve after adjustment by causing the set-screw t' to engage with one of the notches t" of the sleeve.

Rigidly secured to the crank-shaft A is a bevel-wheel F, which may be a single structure, or may consist of a central spider with detachable rim. This bevel-wheel F meshes with a bevel-pinion F, carried by a tubular shaft G, which surrounds the lower fork H of the frame, thc rear end of said tubular shaft carrying a bevel-pinion I, which meshes with another bevel-pinion I' on the hub J of the driving-wheel.

The front end of the lower fork H is threaded for adaptation to a threaded boss m, projecting' rearwardly from the tubular crankshaft hanger D, and is rigidly secured in said boss by brazin g or otherwise, and the rear end of said fork H is reduced in diameter and passes through a block m', formed integral with the rear axle K, as shown in Fig. l, the

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outer end of said reduced portion of the fork H being threaded for the reception of a nut m2, which bears against the rear end of said block on'.

The shaft G turns on ball-bearings at the front and rear ends, the front set of balls n being confined between an outer raceway formed in the pinion F and an inner raceway formed on a follower n', which is adjustable on the threaded front portion of the fork H, and the rear set of balls p is adapted to an outer raceway formed in the pinion I and an inner raceway formed in a follower p, also adapted to a threaded portion of the fork H. Bearing against this follower p' is a jam-nut p2, which is adapted to a thread cut upon the forward end of the block on. The adj ustment of this nut p2 therefore determines the position of the pinion I in respect to the pinion I on the hub of the driving-wheel, and by a proper adjustment of said nut p2 accurate engagement of these two pinions can be insured, accidental unscrewing of the nut p2 being prevented, owing to the fact'that it is jammed firmly onto the threads of the block m by tightening up the nut m2 at the end of the fork H.

The bevel-wheel F and pinion F can be caused to properly engage with each other by a lateral adjustment of the crank-shaft A in the sleeve B and by an adjustment of the follower m on the fork H.

Very delicate adj ustment of the bev el-wheel in respect to the pinion is thus provided for. For instance, if the threaded portion g of the crank-shaft A has twenty-ive threads to the inch and the end of the sleeve B has four notches a movement of the crank-shaft so as to carry the set-screw t' from one notch to the next will eifect lateral adjustment of the crank-shaft to the extent of one-hundredth part of an inch, while very minute longitudinal adjustment of the pinion F is effected by the follower m, so that ample provision ismade for insuring the accurate mesh of the gears.

Surrounding the rear axle K is a sleeve M, which has external collars s s', forming the inner races for two sets of balls t', the outer race for the balls t being formed in a collar o, screwed into one end of the hub G of the driving-wheel and by preference immovably held in position therein. The outer race for the opposite set of balls t is formed in a follower e, which is screwed into the opposite end of the hub .I and is adjustable in and detachable from said end of the hub, the latter being split at the end and provided with a clamp-bolt t2, whereby it can be tightened upon the follower e/ in order to hold the same in any position of adjustment.

The sleeve M is threaded at one end and screwed on the axle K, and has lugs u, engaging with recesses u in a block w, which is loosely mounted on the end of said axle K and is prevented from turning thereon by engagement with the ribs w', formed upon the inner side of the rear end of the lower fork H', which is secured to the shaft-hanger D at its front end and has in it at the rear end a longitudinal slot for the reception of axle K, which is held in position in the slot by the clamping of the rear end of the fork between the block w and an outer nutw2 on the axle. By slackening up or removing the' nut U22, so as to permit of the lateral movement of the rear end of the fork H until the ribs w nolonger coniine the block w, the latter, and withit the sleeve M, can be turned so as to effect lateral adjustment of said sleeve on the axle and consequent adjustment of the pinion I of the hub to or from the pinion I, and by removing the nut m2 and disconnecting the block m' from the lower end of the rear fork N the driving-wheel, with its axle and sleeve, can be readily removed from the machine without disturbing the bearings of said wheel, nor does such removal affect the bearings of the tubular driving-shaft'G, the latter remaining in their proper position on the lower fork H. If the end of the sleeve M is made of polygonal shape and caused to engage with the ribs w', or if a jam-nut is usedon the axle beyond the end of the sleeve, the use of the block w will be unnecessary.

The crank-shaft can be readily removed without disturbing the bearings of the sleeve B in the hanger D by first removing the `crankarm A and then unscrewing the crank-shaft from the sleeve B, so that al1 parts of the driving-gear are accessible at any time for inspection or repair.

The rear fork N may be bolted to the lower fork H or may be brazed thereto or formed in one piece therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the rear fork N is slotted, as shown in Fig. 5, so as vto permit of the necessary adjustment of the block m.

Bymaking the block m/ integral with the axle K, providing an extended bearing in said block for the rear end of the lower fork H, and securing said rear end of the fork iirmly to the block an extremely rigid construction of this part of the frame of the bicycle is insured, this being a matter of importance, as it is necessary to prevent derangement of the gears, which would follow any deection or yielding of the frame.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a modified form of connection between the fork H and block fm. In thiscase the block is internally threaded for the reception of atubular nut 0c, which bears at the front end against the shoulder formed by reducing the diameter of the fork H. The lower end of the rear fork N is confined between the rear end of the nut x and a nut which has a circular projection entering an opening in said fork, so that when the nut is removed the fork can be readily swung rearward and upward, so as to clear the end of the fork H.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- IOC IIO

i. The combination in a bevel-geared bicycle, of a crank-shaft hanger, a sleeve mount- 'ed s0 as to be free to turn in bearings therein, and a crank-shaft laterally adjustable in said sleeve and carrying one of the wheels of the gearing, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in a bevel-geared bicycle, of a crank-shaft hanger, a sleeve free to turn in bearings therein, a crank-shaft carryin g one of the wheels of the4 gearing and having a threaded portion adapted to a threaded portion of the sleeve, and means for locking the crank-shaft to said sleeve, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a bevel-geared bicycle, of the crankshaft hanger, a sleeve free to turn in bearings therein and having a notched end, the crank-shaft carrying one of the wheels of the gearing and having a threaded portion adapted to a threaded portion of the sleeve, and a set-screw carried by one of the crank-arms and adapted to engage with anyone of the series of notches in the projecting end of the sleeve, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the crank-shaft having a bevel-wheel, the crank-shaft hanger, the driving-wheel having a hub with bevelpinion thereon, the tubular shaft having pinions, one engaging with the bevel-wheel on the crank-shaft, and the other with the pinion on the huh of the driving-wheel, ballbearings for the frontand rear ends of said tubular driving-shaft, a iixed axle for the driving-wheel, a lower fork of the frame passing through the tubular driving-shaft and through a block "on the axle of the rear wheel, and a nut having a bearing on said block and serving to limit the approach of the latter toward the rear ball-race of the tubular shaft without affecting the position of the follower of said rear ball-race, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the crank-shaft having a bevel-wheel, the driving-wheel having a hub with bevel-pinion, a shaft surrounding one of the lower forks of the machine and having at one end a pinion engaging with the' bevel-wheel on the crank-shaft and at the other end a pinion engaging with that on the hub of the driving-wheel, ball-bearings for the front and rear ends of said shaft, a rear axle having a block to which the rear end of the fork is secured, and a nut carried by said block and independent of the follower of the rear ball-race of the tubular driving-shaft whereby adjustment of said block in respect to the rear pinion of said tubular driving-shaf t can be effected, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the crank-shaft having a bevel-wheel, the driving-wheel having a hub with bevel-pinion, a shaft surrounding one of the lower forks of the machine, and having at one end a pinion engaging with the bevel-wheel on the crank-shaft and at the other end a pinion engaging with that on the hub of the driving-wheel, ball-bearings for the front and rear ends of said shaft, a rear axle having a block to which the rear end of the fork is secured, and a nut adjustable on said block and bearing against the follower of the rear bearing of the tubular driving'- shaft, substantially as specied.

7. The combination of the driving-wheel, the rear axle, a sleeve surrounding the same, and provided with means for effecting lateral adjustment, bearings on said sleeve for the hub of the driving-wheel, and means whereby the sleeve is locked to a fixed part of the bicycle structure so as to prevent it from turning in the hub of the wheel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOI-1N PARKER. lVitnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

